Dissecting DOS: A Code-Level Look at the DOS Operating System (Paperback)

by Michael Podanoffsky (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The source code of MS-DOS is both secret and copyright-protected. Using the DOS work-alike RxDOS, created to emulate and parallel the commercial system, Dissecting DOS reveals for the first time the code-level operation of DOS. By studying the source code of RxDOS included on disk, readers will be able to understand MS-DOS's inner workings.

From the Back Cover


020162687XB04062001

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; Pap/Dis edition (December 10, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020162687X
• ISBN-13: 978-0201626872
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #926,550 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #13 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Operating Systems > DOS
  #28 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Microsoft > Operating Systems > MS DOS
  #83 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > APIs & Operating Environments > Operating Systems Theory

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, Great support, April 10, 1999

By A Customer

After my first review posted, I am very pleased to say that the author (Mike Padanoffsky) contacted me, and was *Extremely* helpful in fixing *any* complaints that I may have had on his book / software. And it chagrins me to say, that the retractant message that I thought I had posted never went up. So I shall do so again. The original one went sorta like this... "This book, barring a minor bug in one of the earlier editions is in my own opinion one of the *very* best books on re-entrant assembly code and on operating systems. In fact, I liked the OS well enough that I use it on a daily basis on my notebook. For any inquiring programmers, if you want to know HOW to write your own OS, this is one of the *most* essential books to have at your side. I cannot stress enough how well it is written and supported. Words just doesn't seem to do it justice." I am also reminded of the fact, that if it weren't for authors like Mike, some of us programmers would still be scratching our heads, saying "Now, how do I do this one???"

Great book. buy it. I highly recommend it... from one programmer to another.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So-So, July 8, 2002

By	Rob (Bristol, CT United States) - See all my reviews

The book was pretty good with the information that it did give. Some of the programs that were discussed in the book were not on the disk like the book said they were. Alot was left out and not touched upon like they should have been. There should have been a short section on Device drivers, just to give a reader an overview that they do exist, and maybe a little on installable file systems. I bought this book because the code was written in Assembler. I probably should have bought FreeDos instead except that is was written in C. All the information that I could not find in this book I found in the Code for Free Dos.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great info source. Be patient if you want it for further use, August 31, 2000

By	Stavros Versoglou (Greece) - See all my reviews

The book provides an indepth analysis of the way DOS works, contains invaluable information that you can find nowhere else. Nevertheless especially in the beginning I 've got the impression that bypasses -I admit that I'm not the most proficient assembly user and it can be my mistake- some funtamental elements very quickly. (I still try to find a way to list my files without using DOS interupts as the book doesn' t really explain what exactly interupt 52h/21h does and I 've not yet really understood how the accompanying program printcds work - written in C)